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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
science, to his employer and to the custo-
mer. Of course the wisdom of this course
may be disputed, but every one has a right
to his opinions, and I give mine merely for
what they are worth."
We should like to have some of The Re-
view readers give their opinions on this
important subject.
#
#
AN IMPORTANT DECISION.
In another part of this paper, page 17,
will be found the text of a decision
handed down by Judge Severen in the
United States Circuit Court of Western
Michigan last week. It has an important
bearing upon the rights of owners of trade
marks and the use of a geographical name.
The place in which a firm manufacture is
an important element in their business, and
when the name and locality have been as-
sociated for a long term of years, the lat-
ter is just as important a factor as the firm
name or trade mark.'
A case rather similar to that referred to is
Haines Bros., Incor. Here is an old distin-
guished firm, who, through years of effort,
and the expenditure of a vast sum of money,
have built up a fine reputation distinctly as
a"Ncw York" institution; a lot of schemers
come along and commence manufacturing
in a small city over three hundred miles
away, utilize the name, and although in-
corporated to do business in that city,
stencil the word "New York" on their in-
struments, thus clearly aiming to trade on
the reputation of the one and only
"Haines" piano.
This matter is pretty clearly defined by
Judge Severen in his decision when he
says: " I t is a fundamental principle that
a man cannot make use of a reputation
which another manufacturer has acquired
in a trade mark or name, and ; by inducing
the public to act upon a misapprehension
as to the source of the origin, deprive the
other party of the good will and reputa-
tion which he has acquired and to which
he is entitled."
Gives a Bill of Sale.
LSpecial to The Review.]
La Porte, Ind., Nov. 9, 1897.
A bill of sale, showing the transfer of
the stock and business of Geo. I. Badger
& Bro., music dealers, to Wm. F. Porter,
as trustee, has been filed with Recorder
Hart. The business will be carried on
as usual by the trustee, pending a settle-
ment of the matter.
An interesting interview with Joseph
Lapini, a prominent violinist, in which he
discourses on the merits of the new
"Wonder" violin made by C. G. Conn, ap-
pears in this issue on the page devoted to
the "Small Goods Trade."
Henry Zeigler's Latest.
A SOUNDING
BOARD SUPPORT—DESCRIPTION
OF THE INVENTION.
Henry Zeigler, of Steinway & Sons, and
head of the manufacturing department of
the house, is on record with another addi-
tion to the many inventions to his credit.
On Tuesday of last week he was granted
patent No. 593,039, for "a new and useful
improvement in sounding board supports
for pianos." The new invention can be
used in pianos of all kinds, but is more es-
ptcially adapted for uprights.
Heretofore the sounding boards were se-
cured at their edges to the supporting
main frame, which, however, was objec-
tionable to some extent for the reason that
at those portions of the sounding board
where the sounding board bridge is situ-
ated close to the edge of the sounding
board, the tone of the instrument is less
resonant than at those portions where the
bridge is located at some distance from the
edge. Pianos have been made in which
the sounding board was isolated entirely
from the main frame at the edge, but this
has the result that the sounding board
makes transverse vibrations which produce
a weak and shaky tone quality.
The object of this invention is to over-
come the objections to the sounding board
supports heretofore used and to furnish an
improved support for sounding boards by
which freer and fuller vibrations of the
sounding board are obtained and the vi-
brating portions of the board extended
beyond the sounding-board bridge.
The invention, in brief, consists of a
sounding board for pianos which is sup-
ported at the points where the bridge is
located close to the edge by a bracket-sup-
port that extends from the edge of the
sounding board inwardly to the main
frame.
Failure of Gustave Bolze.
ATTACHMENT TO RECOVER $ 1 , 5 0 0
TATES THE ASSIGNMENT.
PRECIPI-
[Special to The Review.]
New Haven, Conn., Nov. 10, 1897.
Gustave Bolze, of 492 State street, a
dealer in pianos and organs, filed an as-
signment in the Probate Court to-day in
favor of Constantine Simon, of 473 State
street, who is the father-in-law and largest
creditor of Mr. Bolze. Judge Cleaveland
set Wednesday, Nov. 17, for a hearing.
The assignment of Mr. Bolze was occa-
sioned by an attachment placed upon the
store Monday by H. Grant Thompson to
recover $1,500. Mr. Bolze to-day said that
an effort would be made to effect a settle-
ment. The estate of Mr. Bolze is esti-
mated at $25,000.
Deputy Sheriff Coombs was placed in
charge of the store to-day, which was
closed. The stock consists chiefly of
pianos, organs and musical instruments in
which Mr. Bolze did a large business.
Mr. Bolze has conducted his music
store for six years at J^his present location
in State street.
A Battle Royal Promised.
[Special to The Review.]
Minneapolis, Minn., Nov. 8, 1897.
The application for the removal of H. O.
Peterson, as assignee of the Century Piano
Co., was not heard Saturday as scheduled
owing to press of business. It went over
until Wednesday, when the evidence will
be taken. All witnesses subpoenaed in the
case were notified to be present at that
time, although the probabilities are that a
further postponement will be necessary.
When the matter comes up there promises
to be a battle royal in the effort to oust the
assignee. Before bringing the action John
W. Arctander went to Chicago for the pur-
pose of seeing a number of the largest
creditors, and he secured their signatures
to a petition for the removal of the as-
signee. He had hardly left Chicago when
H. O. Peterson appeared on the scene o
battle and interviewed the creditors on his
own behalf. He claims that Arctander
secured the signature of all but three of the
Chicago creditors, but that when they were
shown how matters were they nearly all
placed their names upon a petition pre-
sented by the assignee. This will compli-
cate matters considerably.
Another Knabe School Contract.
SECURE A SECOND CONTRACT THIS WEEK FOR
SIX UPRIGHTS AND SIX SQUARES.
One of the most important news items
of the week is the award, by the New
York School Board, of a second contract
to Wm. Knabe & Co., for supplying the
high schools in Greater New York. In
the contest which led to the first Knabe
award, already reported, twenty-two firms
entered. Seven firms competed for the
contract just given. Under its provis-
ions six uprights and six squares are to
be supplied. The eight uprights included
in the first award were recently received
at the Fifth avenue warerooms and are
to be delivered this week. This places
the Knabe firm in an enviable position
as officially chosen piano manufacturers for
the high schools of the Greater New York.
Review Advertising Pays.
One day last week, a New York repre-
sentative of Western musical houses en-
tered the warerooms of a celebrated musical
merchandise firm in this city, produced
from his pocket-book an advertisement
from The Review of recent date, called for
the manager, talked over terms and, before
leaving, practically closed a deal for the
supply of goods valued, wholesale, at
$1,000.
There is a moral in this news item for
those people who are sure the trade journals
of good standing have no mission, or who
are so uncertain about it that to their
minds an operation in the dentist's chair is
preferable to the payment of an insignifi-
cant monthly or quarterly account for leg-
itimate services faithfully rendered.